Pablo F. Weaver

The Benefits of Peer Review and a Multisemester Capstone Writing Series on Inquiry and Analysis Skills in an Undergraduate Thesis

This study demonstrates the positive impact of peer review and a multisemester writing capstone on inquiry, science literacy, and critical thinking skills.

Hypersalinity drives physiological and morphological changes in Limia perugiae (Poeciliidae)

ABSTRACT A fundamental question in biology is how an organisms morphology and physiology are shaped by its environment. Here, we evaluate the effects of a hypersaline environment on the morphology and physiology of a population of livebearing fish in the genus Limia (Poeciliidae). We sampled from two populations of Limia perugiae (one freshwater and one hypersaline) in the southwest Dominican Republic. We evaluated relative abundance of osmoregulatory proteins using western blot analyses and used a geometric morphometric approach to evaluate fine-scale changes to size and shape. Our data show that gill tissue isolated from hypersaline fish contained approximately two and a half times higher expression of Na+/K+ ATPase proteins. We also show evidence for mitochondrial changes within the gills, with eight times more complex I and four times higher expression of ATP synthase within the gill tissue from the hypersaline population. The energetic consequences to Limia living in saline and hypersaline environments may be a driver for phenotypic diversity, reducing the overall body size and changing the relative size and shape of the head, as well as impeding the growth of secondary sex features among the males. Summary: A population of Limia perugiae living in hypersalinity shows modifications to osmoregulatory mechanisms, correlated with changes to body size, morphology of the head, and secondary sex features.

An Introduction to Statistical Analysis in Research: With Applications in the Biological and Life Sciences

An Introduction to Statistical Analysis in Research: With Applications in the Biological and Life Sciences develops a conceptual foundation in statistical analysis while providing readers with opportunities to practice these skills via research-based data sets in biology, kinesiology, and physical anthropology. Readers are provided with a detailed introduction and orientation to statistical analysis as well as practical examples to ensure a thorough understanding of the concepts and methodology. In addition, the book addresses not just the statistical concepts researchers should be familiar with, but also demonstrates their relevance to real-world research questions and how to perform them using easily available software packages including R, SPSS®, Excel®, and Numbers®. Specific emphasis is on the practical application of statistics in the biological and life sciences, while enhancing reader skills in identifying the research questions and testable hypotheses, determining the appropriate experimental methodology and statistical analyses, processing data, and reporting the research outcomes.